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Minister for Primary Industries, Niall Blair, has introduced the NSW Government’s Biosecurity Bill 2015 to the NSW Parliament, which will help secure the future of the state’s $12 billion primary industries sector.

“Our world-class biosecurity protections and paddock-to-plate food safety systems provide our agriculture sector with an enormous competitive advantage in other markets – these must be maintained to help grow this sector,” Mr Blair said.

“Whether it’s controlling an outbreak of highly pathogenic Avian Influenza or preventing a banana freckle incursion – this Bill will put in place the modern toolkit we need to respond effectively and efficiently to manage potential risks.”

The Biosecurity Bill 2015 is a single piece of legislation that is cohesive, up-to-date and easy to understand.

The Bill will repeal, wholly or partially, 14 existing Acts that relate to biosecurity – some 570 years’ worth of out-of-date legislation.

This is the important first step in the NSW Government’s biosecurity reform program, and it will continue to work with industry and other stakeholders to develop the regulations to support the Bill once passed.

The Biosecurity Bill 2015 includes:

A general Biosecurity Duty that requires people who deal with biosecurity risks to take reasonable steps to manage them.

Emergency powers that allow Authorised Officers to take action to respond to biosecurity threats immediately, regardless of whether it is scientifically classified or listed in a regulation.

As part of the reform, the NSW Government will establish an independently chaired Biosecurity Advisory Committee to assist with the development and implementation of this Bill and subordinate regulatory instruments.

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